The 2019 Gran Fondo World Tour Series calendar is expanding with new destinations. This includes: one new destination in North America (Prospera Valley Gran Fondo); four new events in Europe (Epic Gran Canaria, Gran Fondo Nice-Côte d’Azur, Gran Fondo Firenze and Cyclotour du Leman); and one new destination in Asia (Gran Fondo Silk Way).

The event organiser adds that 2019 will also see a new virtual worldwide event – named Gran Fondo World in partnership with Ride with GPS.

The final prize pool will be again be US$36000 – and will be extended through to the top five men/women. Participants should complete three events to be eligible for cash prizes. The organiser adds that this in order to activate movement of participants between events and to grow international participation.

The Gran Fondo World Championship one day race has US$3000 of prize money up for grabs. The destination for 2019 will be Rollfast Gran Fondo (Carmel, Indiana). This event will be part of the world tour series counting with points for a final ranking.

The new virtual Gran Fondo World presented by Ride with GPS is a new challenge for 2019. All riders who join and ride 100 or 50 miles in the weekend of February 22-23, 2019 will receive 100 or 50 bonus points. Further information on this new iniative by Gran Fondo World Tour will follow in the coming weeks.

Gran Fondo World Tour is using Ride with GPS as the official event planning software and will be using its route planning and event management software for all route planning and development.

February:
23-24 Gran Fondo World by Ride with GPS (worldwide)

March:
23 – Saddleback Gran Fondo (California USA)
31 – Gran Fondo Nice-Côte d’Azur (France)

April:
5-7 – Epic Gran Canaria (Canary islands-Spain)
14 – Gran Fondo Firenze (Italy)

May:
19 – Cyclotour du Leman (Switzerland)
25 – Giant Seorak Gran Fondo (South Korea)

June:
2 – Continental Ciclobrava Sea Otter Europe (Girona-Spain)
9 – Tour of Zhetysu – Gran Fondo Kazakhstan
22-23 – Styrkeproven (Norway)

July:
12-14 – Trilogy de Mauriene (French Alps)
20 – Prospera Valley Gran Fondo (BC Canada)

August:
4 – Blue Water International Gran Fondo (Canada)

September:
15 – Rollfast Gran Fondo (USA) – Gran Fondo World Championship
20-21 – Gran Fondo Silk Way (Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan)

October:
20 – Tsogo Sun Amashova Durban Classic (South Africa)

The Gran Fondo World Tour Series also points out that its ‘international expansion team are working to add new destinations in South America, the Middle East and Asia’. These will be revealed in due course. The Gran Fondo Series adds that that the soon to be added events will generate a global participation of around 50,000 participants – with events across more than 20 countries.

www.granfondoworldtour.com